Legolas the Smith
by The Farmer
Summary: A oneshot of a Legolas with a different profession. Starts as a young boy when he decides to be a blacksmith, and then a few scenes from the movies with an OOC Legolas.


**A little oneshot. I would love to see another author write a story on the subject. Please, if you know of such a story TELL ME!**

**I don't own Lord of the Rings**

**Legolas the smith (because according to him being a warrior sucks)**

As a young elf Legolas would slip out of the castle. Sometimes his Adar knew, and sometimes he didn't, but once he was out Legolas would always head straight to the forges.

Legolas would sit for hours watching the smiths. Once he was big enough to wrap his hand around the handle of a hammer he would be given very soft copper to bang into shapes. By elven standards he certainly wasn't very good ("his bracelet looks like an _orc_ made it!"), but what he lacked in talent he certainly made up for with childish enthusiasm.

When Legolas was slightly older all the other elf boys started learning how to shoot practise bows and wack each other with sticks. Legolas learned how to heat metal properly.

A few years later the boys started getting lessons on how to actually hold their bows, and Legolas made his first useful dagger.

Melenause, who was the head smith, retired and started seriously spending time with his young prodegy. Legolas and Melenause would spend hours together comparing the curve of this sword as opposed to that one, and the balance of this necklace compared to that. It was getting fairly obvious that Legolas worshiped his mentor. So obvious, in fact, that even Thranduil who wasen't exactly renowned for his attention to small details picked up on it.

And so it was that one afternoon the elven king summoned his young heir to his chambers.

"Legolas," his father said gravely,

"Hey dad, guess what?" Thranduil waved his hand,

"Not right now, son. I've got something important -"

"So I've been working on this-"

"TO TELL YOU AND I THINK-"

"project with Melena-"

Thranduil was starting to get flustered and finally bellowed "JUST BE QUIET FOR A MOMENT. PLEASE!" Legolas looked shocked.

"Okay, okay. Jeez dad. Get up on the wrong side of bed?" But his held his mouth and Thranduil resumed his important father to son chat.

"Now Legolas, you have been spending a lot of time in the smithies – ah, ah! shh! - and don't get me wrong, I'm really super glad that you've been enjoying yourself but maybe it would be time to broaden your horizon. Pursue other interests. Learn to be a warrior."

Legolas, who was a fairly laid-back young lad agreed that it might be interesting and consented to give such a thing a go so long as there was plenty time to spend in the forges.

Two days later the elf in charge of training all the young elf boys asked for an audience with the king.

"Your majesty," he said "I have come to talk to you about Legolas."

"Ah yes!" Thranduil looked pleased. "A young prodegy, is he? Probably want to put him in with the older boys?"

"Well, not exactly sire. You see, well, oh dear..." He collected himself and began again "Your Majesty, I don't think that it is Legolas' destiny to be a warrior."

"Not his destiny?" Thranduil was shocked. "Well what's the problem? Is he not good at it? Does he need more practise?"

"Erm, not exactly sire. You see, he's always finding faults with our weapons and rushing off to fix it. Or sometimes he decides that the armour we assign him needs decorating. He's always running off to the smithies with various helmets, and we've had to drag him back more times than I care to count."

"That's really a shame." Thranduil said. "I knew I should have given him more weapons as a baby. But my wife was so worried about him cutting himself and I figured he could still practise bashing people with a hammer."

"Well your majesty, the fact is we could train him as a warrior but it's too late. He's been brought up as a smith, and there's no going back. You know what they say, you can take a smith out of a smithy but you can't take a smithy out of a smith."

"That doesn't really make any sense." Thranduil pointed out.

"Hmmm, that's true. Maybe you can't take an anvil out of a smith? It doesn't have quite the same poetic quality though."

"So I guess all my dreams of my son being such a great warrior that he could slide down a wall on a sheild are off. How about a diplomat?"

"Um, sire he'd probably be distracted by people's broaches. Maybe it would be best if Legolas were a smith."

"Hmm. Very well. Legolas shall be a smith."

And so the fate of middle earth and many fangirls was irrivocably changed.

Many years later at the council of elrond...

"I will take the ring to mordor!" Frodo spoke up bravely. "Though I do not know the way..." Everyone gazed at him in admiration of such a brave spirit.

And kept gazing at him. Frodo began to feel very uncomfortable, so Elrond spoke up

"And this is the part where people volenteer to help him." Everyone avoided each other's gazes. The tilework was suddenly appreciated as much as it (in it's opinion) always should have been. "Legolas, how about you? You are a brave elf." Elrond was grasping at straws.

"No thanks" Legolas said.

A few weeks on the road...

Legolas casually sideled up to Frodo. "Sooo, Frodo, about that ring..."

Frodo glanced nervously at the elf. "What?"

"Well I hear it's rather a fine specimen of forging and I would _very much_ like to see it..."

In the mines of Moria...

"You know," Legolas remarked casually to the orc who was currently attempting to bash him over the head, "you really need to take better care of your axe"

"urk"

"I suggest polishing it, it will keep it nice and sharp and prevent brittleness which leads to chipping."

"gah"

"Maybe you'd let me sharpen it?"


End file.
